Seafront and the Lanes
First-timersThe beach, the pier, the Pavilion and the alleys. Central, loud and where most beds are.
Brighton city guide
Things To Do In Brighton
An hour from London: a pebble beach, a pier, an Indian palace built for a Regency prince, and the most cheerfully eccentric city in England.
6
Hostels in the city
8.7
Average, from 6,234 reviews
1 hour
From London Victoria
1823
The Royal Pavilion completed
Pebbles
Not sand. Bring something to sit on
London-by-sea, and proud of being nothing like it
Brighton is where London goes for the weekend and where a lot of Londoners eventually move. It has a beach, a pier, a wrecked second pier standing in the sea, and a reputation for being the least conventional city in England.
The Royal Pavilion is the centrepiece: a seaside palace built for the Prince Regent in Indian style with a Chinese interior, finished in 1823, and entirely unlike anything else in the country.
The Lanes are the tangle of narrow alleys full of jewellers and vintage shops; the North Laine above them is the scruffier, better one.
It has one of the largest LGBTQ+ communities in Britain and a Pride in August that takes over the whole city.
The beach is pebbles, not sand. Everyone is surprised by this, and everyone should have been told.
Two days, or one long one from London.
Where to stay
A small city stacked up from the seafront, all within twenty minutes on foot.
North Laine
Independents and nightlifeJust inland: vintage shops, record stores, the best bars and a scruffier feel than the Lanes.
Kemptown
LGBTQ+ and quieterEast along the front: the heart of the gay scene, good restaurants and a village feel.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 6 top-rated hostels. Map © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Brighton
The Royal Pavilion, at about £18, is the reason to come. George IV built it as a seaside pleasure palace, the outside is Indian and the inside Chinese, and the banqueting room has a dragon holding a chandelier over the table. Nothing else in England looks like it.
Brighton Palace Pier is free to walk and the rides are individually priced. It is fairground kitsch done properly.
The West Pier, burned out in 2003, still stands as a black skeleton in the water and is the most photographed thing in the city.
The Lanes and North Laine are free to wander and the North Laine is the better of the two — less jewellery, more record shops and vintage.
The i360 observation tower at about £20 divides opinion sharply; the view from the seafront is free.
Free things
Free things to do in Brighton
The beach and the seafront cost nothing, and the walk from the Palace Pier west past the West Pier ruin to Hove is the best hour in the city.
The pier itself is free to walk on — only the rides are charged.
Brighton Museum and Art Gallery is free to Brighton and Hove residents and charged for visitors, but the Pavilion Gardens around it are free and a good place to sit.
The Lanes, North Laine and Kemptown are all free to wander, and the street art around Kensington Street is worth the detour.
At dusk from October to March, starlings murmurate over the West Pier ruin in flocks of tens of thousands. It is free, it is astonishing, and it is the best thing here in winter.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Brighton
Brighton is one of the best cities in England for vegetarians and vegans, with a lot of places built entirely around it rather than adding a token dish.
Fish and chips on the seafront is the obvious meal at £10 to £15, and eating it on the pebbles while defending it from seagulls is the full experience. They are bold and they will take it.
The North Laine has the good cheap food — £9 to £15 a plate, with a strong Middle Eastern and South Asian showing.
Kemptown has the better restaurants and the calmer rooms.
A pint is £5 to £6.50, and Brighton has a solid independent brewery scene.
Nightlife
Going out in Brighton
Out of all proportion to the city's size. West Street is the loud mainstream strip, the North Laine has the interesting bars, and Kemptown has one of the biggest LGBTQ+ scenes in the country.
The seafront arches hold clubs built into the promenade wall, which is the distinctive Brighton night — Concorde 2 among them.
A pint is £5 to £6.50 and cocktails £9 to £13.
Weekends bring London down in quantity, along with a heavy stag and hen trade concentrated on West Street.
Things run to three or four, and the beach at dawn afterwards is a Brighton tradition whatever the weather.
Getting around
Getting around Brighton
Walk. The city is small and everything of interest sits between the station and the sea, about fifteen minutes apart downhill.
Buses are about £2.60 a journey with day tickets, and they are useful for Hove and the outer areas.
Trains from London Victoria take an hour and cost £15 to £30 booked ahead, considerably more on the day. London Bridge is a similar time.
Gatwick is 30 minutes by train, which makes Brighton a viable first or last stop on a UK trip.
The seafront is flat; everything inland is uphill from it, and the climb back from the beach is steeper than it looks.
Costs
What Brighton costs
Expensive for its size, because London weekenders set the prices. Dorms are £20 to £40, a plate £9 to £15, and a pint £5 to £6.50.
A day is £50 to £90.
Pride weekend and summer Saturdays run far above that, and beds book out months ahead for the first weekend of August.
The free tier is good: the beach, the seafront, the pier itself, the Laines and the murmuration in winter. The Pavilion at about £18 is the one entry worth paying for.
Safety
Staying safe in Brighton
Brighton is safe and friendly, with the usual weekend drinking to navigate on West Street.
The sea is the real hazard. There are no lifeguards outside the summer season on most of the beach, the shelving pebble bank drops away sharply, and there are rip currents. Swim near the lifeguarded sections in season and do not swim drunk at night, which is how most incidents here happen.
Do not jump from the pier. People do, and people have died doing it; it is also illegal.
Pebbles are hard on bare feet and slippery when wet — shoes for getting in and out make a real difference.
Seagulls take food aggressively. Emergency number is 999, or 112.
Day trips from Brighton
The South Downs start at the edge of the city, and London is an hour back.
Seven Sisters
White chalk cliffs above the Channel, with a clifftop walk from Seaford to Birling Gap. Do not stand near the edge — the chalk collapses.
Lewes
A hill town with a Norman castle, independent shops and the country's most elaborate Bonfire Night.
Arundel
A castle above a small town, with a cathedral and a wetland reserve.
London
A different proposition entirely, and close enough to do either direction.
What's on
What is on while you are there
Pride in August takes over the entire city.
Staff pick
2–25 October
Brighton Early Music Festival
Brighton Early Music Festival in Brighton, United Kingdom, is known for its innovative approach to early music, presenting concerts, workshops, and outreach projects throughout…
Staff pick
7 October
Kane Brown
Kane Allen Brown is a singer and songwriter from the United States. Brown was originally brought to the public's attention through social media. In…
Staff pick
13 October
Westlife
Westlife is an internationally acclaimed Irish pop group renowned for their powerful harmonies and chart-topping ballads. Since their debut in 1999, Westlife has sold…
Staff pick
30–31 October
Van Morrison
Van Morrison is a Northern Irish record producer and instrumentalist. He is a multiple award winner who rose to prominence in the '60s as…
Staff pick
12 November
The Shires
The Shires are a UK country duo known for smooth harmonies and heartfelt songs that blend Nashville polish with British charm. They’ve become a…
Staff pick
19 November
Moving Pictures - Rush Tribute
Moving Pictures is a tribute band dedicated to celebrating the music of Rush. They perform faithful renditions of Rush’s classic songs, capturing the energy…
Staff pick
11 December
UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell
UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell brings reggae-pop hits like "Red Red Wine" and "Kingston Town" to life. Their concerts are laid-back, feel-good celebrations of classic…
Staff pick
12 December
Jools Holland and His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra
Jools Holland and His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra deliver lively shows filled with boogie-woogie piano, classic covers, and swinging brass. Led by the acclaimed…
Hostels
Where to stay in Brighton
A strong scene along the seafront and in the North Laine, with prices doubling for Pride. Live from Hostelworld.
Sustainable
Relax Inn Guest House
See dates and book
The Old Palace Guesthouse
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West Beach Hotel
Dorms from £31 a night
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a&o Brighton Beach
Dorms from £17 a night
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Safestay Brighton Royal Pavilion
Dorms from £1 a night
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HAPPY Brighton
Dorms from £18 a night
See dates and book
When to go
June to September for the beach, and October to March for the murmuration.
Jan
Cold and windy. Murmuration at dusk. Cheapest beds
Feb
Grey, quiet, and still good for starlings
Mar
Improving. Last of the murmurations
Apr
Bright and breezy. The seafront reopens properly
May
Excellent. The Brighton Festival runs all month
Jun
The best month. Long evenings and a usable beach
Jul
Hot, packed and expensive at weekends
Aug
Peak. Pride in the first week fills every bed
Sep
Superb. Warm sea, thinner crowds
Oct
Autumn. Murmurations restart at dusk
Nov
Wet and windy. Lewes Bonfire on the 5th
Dec
Cold on the front. Quiet and cheap
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. The sea is at its warmest in September, not July, and the wind off the Channel makes it feel colder on the front than the numbers suggest.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in pounds.
Pride weekend and summer Saturdays run well above these. Transport is low because you walk everywhere.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Brighton travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Is the beach sand?
No. It is pebbles, the whole way, and everyone is surprised. Bring something to sit on and shoes for getting in and out of the water — the stones are hard underfoot and slippery at the waterline.
Can I do it as a day trip from London?
Easily. An hour from Victoria for £15 to £30 booked ahead. A long day covers the Pavilion, the pier, the Laines and a walk along the front, though two days is better.
Is the Royal Pavilion worth it?
Yes, at about £18. George IV built it as a seaside palace with an Indian exterior and a Chinese interior, and the banqueting room has a dragon holding the chandelier. There is nothing else like it in England.
What is the murmuration?
Tens of thousands of starlings flocking over the ruined West Pier at dusk between October and March. It is free, it lasts about twenty minutes, and it is the best reason to visit in winter.
Is it safe to swim?
In season and near the lifeguarded sections, yes. The beach shelves steeply, there are rip currents, and most of the coast is unlit and unpatrolled outside summer. Do not swim at night after drinking, and never jump off the pier — it is illegal and people have died.
When is Pride?
The first weekend of August. It is one of the biggest in the UK and every bed in the city books out months in advance at well above normal prices. Plan for it deliberately, either way.
What is the difference between the Lanes and North Laine?
The Lanes are the narrow medieval alleys full of jewellers and antiques. The North Laine is the grid of streets above them with record shops, vintage and cafés. The North Laine is the better one.
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